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"A household based in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and qualified educator to support their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."

Looking at this post, you might naturally overlook the term "beginning" as just figurative language.

However, it could be the most important element of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of responses have now been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".

Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the press, with several asking why?

Innovative Idea

The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding first skepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".

When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.

But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already become established".

But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".

He said the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they did not want this pattern to recur with their infant.

The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.

Osmotic Learning

"Much of the development at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.

It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they wish to instil.

He noted the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.

Expense Not a Factor

The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.

Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".

In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.

"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.

Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?

"Absolutely", answered he. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.

Impractical

There are some in the education sector who share similar doubts.

Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."

Peter explained that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been educated understanding and embodying both cultures. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.

"The idea that one individual can function as a representation of UK identity, someone who can somehow transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.

"From my perspective, having a typically UK tutor from infancy will not instantly produce the result they hope for.

"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to live many of the opportunities they aspire for their son."

He added: "The fact is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."

Acquiring Englishness

Certainly, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be educated – and sold.

"In my view the reality that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating